David Acheson and Elizabeth Young

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Husband David Acheson ^{1 2 3 4 5 6}

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           Born: 1770 - County Armagh, Ireland 3
     Christened: 
           Died: 1 Dec 1851 3 7 8
         Buried:  - Washington, Washington Co, PA

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         Father: George Acheson (1724-1812) 1 2
         Mother: Elizabeth Weir (1728-1808) 1 9

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       Marriage: Spring, 1799 2 3

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   Other Spouse: Mary Wilson (1787-1872) 3 4 6 7 10 - 31 Oct 1805 2 3

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Wife Elizabeth Young ^{2 3 7}

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 27 Feb 1800 2 3 7
         Buried: 

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         Father: Samuel Young (      -      ) 2 7
         Mother: 

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Children

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1 F Eliza Young Acheson ²

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died:  - Cleveland, Cuyahoga Co, OH
         Buried: 

         Spouse: [Unk] Woodward (      -      ) 2

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General Notes: Husband - David Acheson

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He received a tolerably thorough English education. In the spring of 1788 he left Ireland to join his brothers, John, George and Thomas, in America. Arriving in Washington, Pennsylvania, he immediately went into business with his brother John, who gave him an interest in his contracts with the United States Government for furnishing Indian supplies, and cavalry and pack horses for the use of the army. He was constantly employed in mercantile transactions, from 1788 to 1791, when he commenced the study of law with James Ross, then a distinguished lawyer of Washington (afterward U. S. Senator from Pennsylvania); but this he subsequently abandoned, having resolved to again embark in business with his brother Thomas, which partnership was successfully and harmoniously conducted during their joint lives. He and his brothers, John and Thomas, owned several large stores in the western country-one at Washington, one at West Liberty, West Virginia, one at Muddy Creek, Greene County, Pennsylvania, one at Cincinnati, Ohio, and one in the then Spanish province at Natchez. Some of their stores were opened as early as 1784, and for many years had a large trade from the Ohio country. In 1805 David Acheson was appointed eastern purchasing agent for the firm, which occasioned his removal from Washington to Philadelphia. In 1795, while in his twenty-fifth year, he was elected by the Republican party to represent Washington County in the State Legislature, and was re-elected in 1796, 1797 and 1804, respectively. [CBRWC, 27]

Coming with his brothers to America in 1788, he first located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He brought the following letter from the pastor of his father's church: "The bearer, David Acheson, intending to remove to North America, this, therefore, is to certify that he is a young man of sober and good conduct, and son of Mr. George Acheson, an elder of the Seced-ing Congregation of Market Hill, in the County of Armagh, Ireland. This is given under my hand this 30th of April, 1788. David Arnott, Minister."

In November, 1802, he visited the old country, remaining about six months in England and Ireland.

In 1788, together with other members of the family, he came to America and located at Philadelphia and was engaged in assisting his brother John to fill his contracts, up to the death of the latter. The operations of the brothers were large for that time and they covered, in their mercantile journeys, territory from Pittsburgh to New Orleans. Later, David and his brother Thomas Acheson, became interested in the tea trade at Pittsburgh and Washington. David Acheson was also a politician and he was elected on the Democratic ticket to many positions of responsibility and represented Washington County in the State Legislature in 1795-97 and 1804. He was a man of unusual qualities. [TCHWWC, 888]

He married his second wife and they immediately made their home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, returning to Washington, Pennsylvania, in 1815, he having practically retired from business.

After his return to Washington, Pennsylvania, he erected an elegant home and entered business at Washington, but some investments in real estate having failed, he soon retired from active life. In 1840, then over seventy years of age, he made another trip to Ireland, returning to America two years later. In 1848 he was seized with a paralytic stroke, but lingered until December, 1851.
The following obituary notice appeared in one of the papers: "He was an accurate and close observer of public and political affairs, as connected not only with our own Government, but with the prominent nations of Europe, of the diplomacy of which, as well as of their policy, there were but few private men of his day, retiring and unobtrusive as he was, who better understood or could more accurately delineate. His judgment and conclusions, which were always deliberate and well matured by his deep-thinking, strong mind, were valuable and very highly esteemed by those acquainted with him, whether in public or private life. Thus, during the period of vigorous manhood, he enjoyed a most extensive popularity and influence in the State of Pennsylvania particularly, and with many of her most distinguished individuals, in her political party history and government, he was on the closest terms of intimacy; hence his opinions and counsels were always much sought after and greatly valued. As a private friend and in social life Mr. Acheson was a man of ardent and sincere attachments, and where personal effort or labor were needed he never faltered or shrunk by reason of apparent difficulty or threat-ened danger, ever ready and willing to serve his friends at whatever responsibility or personal risk by day or night, at home or abroad."

He was a leading man of his day, being Republican representative to the State Assembly from Washington County for three terms. At this time the state and national capitals were both located at Philadelphia, and Mr. Acheson became well acquainted with President George Washington and many other leading characters of the time.

1 Boyd Crumrine, History of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 479.

2 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 27.

3 Joseph F. McFarland, 20th Century History of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and Representative Citizens (Chicago, IL: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., 1910), Pg 888.

4 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of Western Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1915), Pg 64.

5 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 511.

6 John W. Jordan, LL.D, A Century and a Half of Pittsburg and Her People, Vol. IV (New York: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1908), Pg 270.

7 Boyd Crumrine, History of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 480.

8 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 28.

9 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 129.

10 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 252.